World Cultures Connect, a new international networking platform for the cultural and creative sectors

This new project managed by Visiting Arts brings cultural managers and creative professionals around the globe closer together, and responding to an increasing need for international networking within the arts.

World Cultures Connect is a new online solution to unanswered questions: How do I know what is out there? How can I find the right kind of work for my festival or the right kind of organisation for collaboration?

Through online social networking, this web project allows people or organisations to promote their own work through their free profile page, to advertise news, open calls and events to a targeted audience; as well as to start - or participate - in discussions related to international mobility and funding. All users can connect and network freely with their peers and key contacts to take their projects forward by discovering new profiles and by getting in touch directly with organisations, experts and collaborators around the globe.

In contrast to traditional networking platforms, World Cultures Connect has an open approach to networking (profiles are accessible to all) and offers - like a directory - the possibility to browse thousands of profiles with specific criterions. Helped with a network of high profile supporters such as The Africa Centre (Cape Town) or The Ministry of The Arts and Multiculturalism (Trinidad and Tobago), and the Pacific Arts and Culture Foundation (Fiji), the site already offers access to a large base of contacts including national directories of cultural players, so that users can enhance their networks by finding out more about the cultural offer of a country or region. This directory includes museums and heritage sites, performing companies and venues, visual arts, crafts, new media, design, literary organisations and professional services for artists and the cultural sector. It follows a global classification system that was built on UNESCO classifications and has been updated and modernized to suit the contemporary cultural field. A tagging system created by users gives further search results on the latest terminology.

Based on expertise in the cultural sector gained by Visiting Arts throughout its 37-year history, World Cultures Connect curates a series of information resources such as a recent online Q&A on Funding of International Mobility in partnership with On The Move, or a forthcoming Q&A on Visas for Artists (planned for May 2015).

This newly launched project needs support from new members to bring itself to life – Make yourself known to your international community, network internationally amongst arts professionals, managers & artists - join today and start connecting.

World Cultures Connect is supported with the financial contribution of the European Union and the assistance of the ACP Group of States and by Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Creative Scotland, Arts Council of Wales, the Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Republic, the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia, Arts Council of Ireland, Culture Ireland and the Aga Khan Trust for Culture.